Deep Waters

power and money."
    The cove breeze shifted. It tugged at Charity's shirt sleeves. She pushed a tendril of hair out of her eyes. "Maybe we'll get the answers on the morning after the spaceships fail to show."
    "Maybe." Elias's enigmatic gaze rested on her face.
    "There's one thing I'm certain of," Charity continued.
    "What's that?"
    She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Gwen Pitt's mo tives might be obscure, but her sleazy right-hand man, Rick Swinton, is very obvious. He's in this for the money. I'd stake Whispers on it."
    "I haven't run into Swinton yet."
    "You haven't missed anything." Charity shuddered. "A real creep."
    Elias eyed her. "That sounds personal."
    "It is. He made a pass at me shortly after the Voyagers got here. The cove is not exactly a mecca for singles, but I wasn't desperate enough to go out with him. When I declined his invitation, he told me I'd be sorry."
    Elias grew still. "He threatened you?"
    "Not exactly. Just said I'd regret turning him down." Charity smiled. "Believe me, I didn't."
    "I'll keep an eye out for him." Elias's hand tightened on hers. "In the meantime, I've got another very important question."
    The dark velvet of his voice sent more little chills of excitement down her spine. "What's that?"
    "I've been wondering," he said very softly, "how your mouth tastes."
    She stared at him. "I beg your pardon?"
    "I've been thinking about it for the past ten days." He pulled her gently, inexorably, closer.
    She met his eyes, saw the controlled desire in him, and was nearly overwhelmed by the sense of inevitability that descended on her. She knew then that she had been waiting for this ever since he had knocked on her door earlier that evening.
    Again she stiffened, instinctively searching for the smallest sign of the heightened anxiety that presaged a panic episode. But all she felt was the rush of sensual anticipation.
    Elias was definitely the right size.
    He kept one foot on the lowest rung of the fence railing as he drew her forward. A delicious shock went through her when she found herself standing in the intimate space created between his thighs.
    The background murmur of the light cove surf and Gwendolyn Pitt's exhortations to her followers faded into the distance. Charity dimly realized that her senses simply could not focus on all the normal stimuli that surrounded her. They were fully engaged with the feel of Elias's hard, lean body against hers. She could feel the heat of him. It drew her with the power of a magic spell.
    She reminded herself that just because Elias had confided in her didn't mean that she could trust him. She couldn't even be certain that he had told her the truth. He was a subtle, clever man. Moreover, there was no doubt but that he was a little weird.
    Davis's warnings echoed in her brain. Watch your step with Winters. Rumor has it he's not just a player, he's a winner. Every time.
    But Elias's touch did not trigger any warnings from her nervous system. On the contrary, the closer she got, the closer she wanted to be.
    When he lowered his head to take her mouth, she learned in one shattering second that everything she had suspected was true. Kissing Elias was definitely a different experience. Hot, sexy, and incredibly satisfying.
    A spectacular flower that had been dormant within her all of her life suddenly blossomed. Elias's muscled thigh tightened against her hip, trapping her between his legs. She put her arms around his neck and parted her lips.
    Elias groaned. A shudder went through him.
    Charity was enthralled by the sensations that poured through her. Elias's kiss was darker and more mysterious than the fall of night. It was full of arcane secrets and layers of unfathomable meanings. It would take a lifetime to explore this kiss. Joy and excitement soared within her as she sank into the unplumbed depths.
    "Damn." Elias tore his mouth from hers with an abrupt, wrenching movement of his head. He sucked in a deep breath.
    Charity gazed up at him, astonished. His eyes glittered in the shadows. His expression was grim. His breathing was harsh and ragged, as if he had just run a marathon.
    "Sorry," he muttered. "This is happening too fast. I didn't intend it to be like this. Not so soon. Didn't want to rush you."
    "It's okay, really." She touched the side of his cheek and felt his jaw clench in response. An invigorating sense of her own feminine power rose within her. "I don't mind in the least."
    Elias looked bemused, almost dazed. He stared down at her for